Single helix heat shield fastener with anti-stripping feature

Abstract

A fastener includes a circular shaped body having a dish-shaped interior including an inner flat plate integrally connected to and recessed with respect to an outer planar ring. Multiple connecting legs integrally connect the inner flat plate to the outer planar ring. The outer planar ring has a substantially circular perimeter. First and second deflectable wings are each integrally connected to and extend outwardly from the perimeter of the outer planar ring by first and second deflectable arms. The first and second deflectable wings directly contact opposed ones of multiple faces of a socket tool when the fastener is received in a socket cavity of the socket tool.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A fastener, comprising:
 a circular shaped body having a dish-shaped interior including an inner flat plate integrally connected to and recessed with respect to an outer planar ring; 
 multiple connecting legs integrally extending from the inner flat plate to the outer planar ring; 
 pairs of first and second deflectable arms integrally extending radially outwardly from a substantially circular perimeter of the outer planar ring; and 
 first and second deflectable wings each integrally extending from one of the pairs of the first and second deflectable arms and positioned radially outwardly of the perimeter of the outer planar ring. 
 
     
     
       2. The fastener of  claim 1 , further including a single helix screw connection centrally created in the inner flat plate. 
     
     
       3. The fastener of  claim 2 , wherein the single helix screw connection is a #10-16 helix centrally positioned between the first and second deflectable wings. 
     
     
       4. The fastener of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second deflectable wings are equally spaced with respect to a longitudinal central axis of the fastener. 
     
     
       5. The fastener of  claim 4 , wherein each of the first and second deflectable wings includes a portion defining a free end which is angled inwardly towards the central axis and which integrally transitions into a maximum outwardly extending portion positioned at a maximum distance from the central axis. 
     
     
       6. The fastener of  claim 1 , wherein the second deflectable wing is oppositely facing/directed with respect to the first deflectable wing, and each of the first and second deflectable wings has a total length with respect to a planar surface of the outer planar ring. 
     
     
       7. The fastener of  claim 1 , further including a plurality of apertures created in the body between the outer planar ring and the inner flat plate individually defining the connecting legs, the apertures allowing a fluid contacting the fastener to be displaced away from the fastener. 
     
     
       8. The fastener of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second deflectable wings includes:
 a common total length between opposed first and second ends of the deflectable wings; and 
 an angled cutoff created at each of the first and second ends located proximate to one of the first or second deflectable arms. 
 
     
     
       9. A fastener, comprising:
 a circular shaped body having a dish-shaped interior including an inner flat plate integrally connected to and recessed with respect to an outer planar ring; 
 multiple connecting legs integrally connecting the inner flat plate to the outer planar ring; 
 pairs of first and second deflectable arms integrally connected to a substantially circular perimeter of the outer planar ring; and 
 first and second deflectable wings each integrally connected to one of the pairs of the first and second deflectable arms and extending outwardly from the perimeter of the outer planar ring; 
 wherein the first and second deflectable wings each include a window separating and defining the first and second deflectable arms, the window sized to predetermine a flexibility for the first and second deflectable arms. 
 
     
     
       10. The fastener of  claim 9 , wherein the first and second deflectable wings are adapted to collapse inwardly toward the inner flat plate by bending of the first and second deflectable arms when a predetermined torque value of approximately 3.0 Nm or higher is applied to the first and second deflectable wings. 
     
     
       11. The fastener of  claim 9 , wherein the first and second deflectable wings are adapted to collapse inwardly toward the inner flat plate by bending of the first and second deflectable arms when a predetermined minimum torque value of approximately 1.2 Nm is applied to the first and second deflectable wings. 
     
     
       12. A fastener, comprising:
 a substantially circular shaped body having a dish-shaped interior including an inner flat plate integrally connected to and recessed with respect to an outer planar ring; 
 multiple connecting legs integrally extending from the inner flat plate to the outer planar ring; 
 the outer planar ring having a substantially circular perimeter; and 
 first and second deflectable wings each being positioned radially outwardly of the perimeter of the outer planar ring and each deflectable wing integrally extending from the perimeter of the outer planar ring via radially outwardly extending pairs of first and second deflectable arms, the first and second deflectable wings being positioned to directly contact opposed ones of multiple faces of a socket tool, and being constructed to be drivingly rotated via such direct contact in response to rotation of, at least when the fastener is initially received in a socket cavity of the socket tool. 
 
     
     
       13. The fastener of  claim 12 , wherein each of the first and second deflectable wings includes a common total length between opposed first and second ends of the deflectable wings, the first and second ends each adapted to contact a corner created at adjoining ones of the multiple faces. 
     
     
       14. The fastener of  claim 13 , wherein the first and second deflectable wings are adapted to collapse inwardly toward the inner flat plate by bending of the first and second deflectable arms when a predetermined torque value of approximately 3.0 Nm or higher is applied to the first and second deflectable wings by rotation of the socket tool. 
     
     
       15. The fastener of  claim 13 , wherein the first and second deflectable wings are adapted to collapse inwardly toward the inner flat plate by bending of the first and second deflectable arms when a predetermined minimum torque value of 1.2 Nm is applied to the first and second deflectable wings by rotation of the socket tool. 
     
     
       16. The fastener of  claim 12 , wherein the first and second deflectable wings are equally spaced with respect to a longitudinal central axis of the fastener and each includes a portion defining a free end which is angled inwardly towards the central axis and which integrally transitions into a maximum outwardly extending portion positioned at a maximum distance from the central axis. 
     
     
       17. The fastener of  claim 16 , wherein the maximum outwardly extending portions are adapted to directly contact the opposed ones of the multiple faces and to inwardly deflect toward each other to create opposed biasing forces acting to frictionally retain the fastener in the socket cavity. 
     
     
       18. The fastener of  claim 17 , wherein the inward deflection of the first and second deflectable wings occurs due to elastic bending of the first and second deflectable arms defining a first bending phase. 
     
     
       19. The fastener of  claim 12 , wherein the first and second deflectable wings include inwardly directed free ends allowing the first and second deflectable wings to slide into the socket cavity by sliding contact with the opposed ones of the multiple faces of the socket tool. 
     
     
       20. The fastener of  claim 12 , wherein in an initial position the first and second deflectable wings and the first and second deflectable arms extend entirely outside of the perimeter of the outer planar ring such that only the first and second deflectable wings contact the faces of the socket tool. 
     
     
       21. A fastener, comprising:
 a substantially circular shaped body having a dish-shaped interior including an inner flat plate integrally connected to and recessed with respect to an outer planar ring; 
 multiple connecting legs integrally connected to the inner flat plate to the outer planar ring; 
 the outer planar ring having a substantially circular perimeter; and 
 first and second deflectable wings each extending outwardly from the perimeter of the outer planar ring and each integrally connected to the perimeter of the outer planar ring by pairs of first and second deflectable arms, the first and second deflectable wings adapted to directly contact opposed ones of multiple faces of a socket tool when the fastener is received in a socket cavity of the socket tool; 
 wherein the first and second deflectable wings include radially inwardly directed free end portions.